'YOU'LL BE MY MAN!!

MCPHEE WANTS TO HELP JONES GET BETTER

- STUART JAMES

NEW Plymouth Parkway manager Chris McPhee once broke the news to hot-shot striker Dylan Jones that he wasn't being offered a scholarship in professional football. Now, he wants to realise the potential that has made Jones one of the hottest young strikers on the non-League scene. McPhee and Jones know each other well as the 19-year-old was once in the Exeter City Academy, where he was coached by McPhee. But after reaching the Under-16s, McPhee had to tell Jones the devastating news that he was being released by the club.

Following that setback, Jones joined Parkway's Academy and after graduating to the first team, he has just finished his first proper season in men's football where his goals, especially at the back end of the season, played a huge part in Parkway avoiding relegation.

"Fortunately, the club saw this coming, saw him having such good performances back in the last year, so he was one player who was contracted for next season before we even came in," McPhee said. "I know Dylan from when he was 13, 14 years of age, when I coached him at Exeter City's Academy, he was under 14, under 15, under 16, and I had to give him in the bad news that he wasn't going to be offered a scholarship.